The difference between "remember" and "remind"

It's easy to mix up "remember" and "remind," especially if you speak German. In German, erinnern covers both: ich erinnere mich and ich erinnere dich. English uses two different verbs, and the question is always the same: who's doing the remembering?

Remember

We use "remember" when a memory comes back into your own head. Nobody else is involved. It could be something from the past, a fact, or something you need to do.

• I remember my first day at work like it was yesterday.
• She always remembers our anniversary, even when I forget.
• Did you remember to lock the door?
• Do you remember where we parked?

Remind

We use "remind" when someone or something makes another person remember. That could be a friend, a note, or an alarm on your phone. "Remind" always needs a person after it: you remind someone of something, or remind someone to do something.

• Can you remind me about the meeting tomorrow?
• She reminded me to bring my passport.
• My phone reminds me to drink water every hour.
• Please remind John to call the client.

A common mistake is "Remember me to call her" when you mean "Remind me to call her." If you want someone else to make sure you don't forget, it's always "remind."

"Remind" has one more use. If something or someone is similar to something else, it "reminds you of" it.

• This song reminds me of our summer in Italy.
• You remind me of my sister. She laughs the same way.

Now that you've got it down, you probably won't mix these up as much anymore. But if you do, well, let's hope someone reminds you.

It's easier to remember these when you hear them in real conversations, so watch our Daily Dose of Denglisch Docs and listen out for them.